Illegal wildlife trade emerges as a major threat to more than 1000 plant and animal species.

What is common in the Asian elephant, the pangolin and the tiger? They can all be found in Myanmar and they are on the list of 331 threatened species in the country. They are also one of the more than 1000 plant and animal species used for traditional medicinal products, exotic food, ornaments and clothes which fuel the illegal wildlife trade of the Greater Mekong Region.

Findings such as these were presented at the launch of Larger than Tigers, a ground-breaking study that sets out a roadmap for an integrated biodiversity conservation approach in Asia. To mark World Wildlife Day, the European Union (EU) partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Society to present the study to experts and media in Yangon.

"Across the world, and in this country too, the European Union is committed to wildlife conservation. Myanmar's beautiful rainforests and majestic animals are threatened by wildlife crime and environmental degradation. The European Union wholeheartedly supports Myanmar's efforts to safeguard its precious natural heritage for future generations, including by immediately stopping all illegal wildlife trade. I hope this report will strengthen everyone's resolve to do so," said EU Ambassador Kristian Schmidt.

Part of the EU's Biodiversity for Life (B4Life) initiative, Larger than Tigers is the product of two years of intensive, collaborative research involving 28 authors and consultation with 382 experts from over 150 organisations across over 25 countries in Asia.

The presentation of Larger than Tigers followed a series of events across the country intended to raise awareness of the importance of wildlife protection, including the public destruction of seized wildlife parts organised by the Myanmar government. The EU had called on Myanmar to fast-track a nationwide ban on the illegal sale of wildlife parts, including in Myanmar’s border areas (read here the full Local EU Statement on Ending Illegal Wildlife Trade).